Books Einstein Before Israel: Zionist Icon or Iconoclast?  by Professor Ze’ev Rosenkranz (Author)

"Einstein Before Israel: Zionist Icon or Iconoclast?" by Professor Ze’ev Rosenkranz is a detailed exploration of Albert Einstein's complex and ambivalent relationship with the Zionist movement during the crucial years from 1919 to 1933. The book portrays Einstein as a brilliant man who initially saw his Jewish identity as an obstacle but gradually embraced it, though without full commitment to Zionist nationalism.

Einstein, raised as a Jew in Munich, faced anti-Semitism and initially viewed Judaism more as a cultural identity than a religious one. He was involved in early Zionist efforts, especially supporting the founding of Hebrew University in Jerusalem as a refuge and center for Jewish academic excellence. However, Einstein was critical and skeptical of some Zionist goals, especially the idea of establishing a Jewish agricultural state, predicting it would not succeed. He admired the economic and commercial vitality of Jewish cities but was wary of political Zionism's nationalist ambitions.